Ignaz Semmelweis

Ignaz Semmelweis was a 19th-century Hungarian doctor who discovered that handwashing greatly reduces the spread of infectious diseases, particularly in childbirth. Working in a hospital, he noticed higher death rates from "childbed fever" in wards staffed by doctors and medical students compared to midwives. He implemented a simple practice of washing hands with a chlorinated solution before examining patients, which dramatically lowered the mortality rate. Although initially ignored, his findings laid important groundwork for germ theory and modern hygiene practices, ultimately saving countless lives by highlighting the importance of sanitary procedures in medicine.